The Orissa Model Tribal Education Society (OMTES), a registered Society supported by the ST & SC Development Department, aims to make positive interventions in the field of tribal education. Since its inception in March 2000, it has been instrumental in setting up 11 Ekalabya Model Residential Schools in different parts of the State with assistance from Government of India. Besides that it also manages 19 Educational Complexes set up for providing education to ST Girls belonging to Primitive Tribal Groups. OMTES continues in its endeavour to serve the tribal population of the State by ensuring them to avail best opportunities in education at par with the non tribal population.

A school level management committee headed by the Collector of the respective districts, members including two educationist of the area looks after the overall development of the schools. Here the collector is the chairman and concerned Principal of ERMS is the Member Secretary.

I am a Tribal, what is the benefit the society has for me?

You benefit, when your child qualifies entrance of the school and receives free qualitative education. The society provides for improving the quality of tribal by promoting educational schemes for tribal community and improves the quality of life of tribal by Ashram Schools, Hostels for Tribal Boys Educational complexes, Post- Matric Scholarships and Book Bank Schemes, etc.

Whom do I contact for more information?

For information you are requested to contact ST & SC Development, Govt. of Orissa.

The 19 educational complexes are listed in the page http://www.omtes.org/Yearwise_establishment.html. They are in the districts of Keonjhar (3), Rayagada (2), Nuapara, Mayurbhanj (2), Deogarh, Angul, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati (3), Malkangiri (2), Sundergarh and Kandhamala. Each of these complexes have a capacity of 250 making a total capacity of 4750.

So the Odisha government should just give land, seed money and grants to KISS and let them establish and manage much larger facilities in the districts with significant tribal students.

In http://www.kiss.ac.in/admission.html it is mentioned that every year KISS gets 30,000 to 40,000 applications per year for admission and admits between 2000-3000 of them. The government should fund KISS so that if not all who apply are admitted at least half of them are admitted.

It is a pity that other states have taken note of KISS and are inviting KISS to open replicas in their states while Odisha does not seem to be taking similar steps. Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer on other states approaching KISS for replicas.

A branch of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has been set up in Bastar, a tribal dominated and Maoist infested region of Chhattisgarh with assistance from the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).

An MoU to this effect was signed between the KIIT and the KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta and NMDC director GB Joshi in the presence of the NMDC chairman cum managing director Rana Som at the the latter’s Corporate Office in Hyderabad on June 24.

As per the agreement, the NMDC has provided 30 acres of land along with all financial assistance to the KISS in order to set up its replica in Kankar region of north Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. In the first phase, 1000 tribal boys and girls will be admitted in this school. However, a total of 4,000 students from five districts in and around Bastar will get the opportunity of quality education here in course of time.

After Bastar, the Governments of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi are keen to set up such model schools bearing all financial implications. They have requested Dr Samanta accordingly.

The page http://www.kiss.ac.in/fmngt.html explains how KISS is funded. The total amount there adds up to 18 crores. If 10 such KISS replicas are established in 10 tribal districts of Odisha at an additional cost of 200 crores/year, that will be the best use of such money for Odisha.

A statement showing enrolment of Boys and Girls during 2004-05 at Primary, Upper Primary and Secondary Schools level as per Selected Educational Statistics 2004-05 is given in Annexure-I.

The Government of India has launched two focused interventions – National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Education (NPEGEL) to reach out to never enrolled/dropout girls, working girls, older girls who have not completed elementary education and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) for girls from marginalized social groups.

Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, free textbooks are provided to all girls and SC & ST children. In addition, depending on local requirements, State Governments have innovation funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) for providing uniforms to girls where necessary. Details of assistance provided to States during each of the last three years under NPEGEL and KGBV are given at Annexure-II.

Annexure-I

Annexure-I referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Qeustion No.1559 to be answered on 27.11.2007 asked by Shri Ravi Prakash Verma. regarding Promotion for Education for Girls.

The Government of India has sanctioned 2180 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayasin the country till March, 2007. A list of the KGBVs sanctioned, operational and girls enrolled in them is annexed.

A National Evaluation of the KGBV scheme was conducted through independent experts on girls education in February, 2007 covering 12 States who have found the overall working of the scheme satisfactory. The Report of the National Evaluation is available on website www.ssa.nic.in .

1.

Annexure

Statement showing the number of KGBVs sanctioned, operational and girls enrolled in them State and Union Territory wise as on 31st October, 2007

This information was given by Shri M.M.A Fatmi, Minister of Human Resources Development in the Lok Sabha today in a written reply to a question by Shri Tukaram Ganpatrao Renge Patil and Shri Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy.

1.1 The Government of India has approved a new scheme called Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) for setting up upto 750 residential schools with boarding facilities at elementary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and minorities in difficult areas. The scheme will be coordinated with the existing schemes of Department of Elementary Education & Literacy viz. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) and Mahila Samakhya (MS).

2.Scope/ Coverage of the scheme

2.1 The scheme would be applicable only in those identified Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) where, as per census data of 2001, the rural female literacy is below the national average and gender gap in literacy is more than the national average. Among these blocks, schools may be set up in areas with:

¨concentration of tribal population, with low female literacy and/or a large number of girls out of school;

¨concentration of SC, OBC and minority populations, with low female literacy and/or a large number of girls out of school;

¨areas with low female literacy; or

¨areas with a large number of small, scattered habitations that do not qualify for a school

The criteria for eligible EBB will be the same as in the NPEGEL scheme of SSA.

3. Objective

3.1 Gender disparities still persist in rural areas and among disadvantaged communities. Looking at enrolment trends, there remain significant gaps in the enrolment of girls at the elementary level as compared to boys, especially at the upper primary levels. The objective of KGBV is to ensure access and quality education to the girls of disadvantaged groups of society by setting up residential schools with boarding facilities at elementary level.

4. Strategies

4.1 Between 500 to 750 residential schools will be opened in a phased manner over the Xth Plan period at an estimated cost of Rs. 19.05 lakh as recurring cost and Rs. 26.25 lakh as non-recurring cost, per school. Initially, the proposed schools shall be opened in rented or other available Government buildings after deciding the location.

4.2 Such residential schools will be set up only in those backward blocks that do not have residential schools for elementary education of girls under any other scheme of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs. This shall be ensured by the district level authority of SSA at the time of actual district level planning of KGBV initiatives by co-ordinating with the other Departments/Ministries. A list of educational complex being run by Ministry of Tribal Affairs is enclosed for facilitating selection of KGBV.

5.The components of the scheme will be as follows:

(i)Setting up of residential schools where there are a minimum of 50 girls predominantly from the SC, ST and minority communities available to study in the school at the elementary level. The number can be more than 50 depending on the number of eligible girls. Three possible models for such school have been identified and given at Annex.I(a) to I(c).

(ii)To provide necessary infrastructure for these schools

(iii)To prepare and procure necessary teaching learning material and aids for the schools

(iv)To put in place appropriate systems to provide necessary academic support and for evaluation and monitoring

(v)To motivate and prepare the girls and their families to send them to residential school

(vi)At the primary level the emphasis will be on the slightly older girls who are out of school and were unable to complete primary schools (10+). However, in difficult areas (migratory populations, scattered habitations that do not qualify for primary/ upper primary schools) younger girls can also be targeted

(vii)At the upper primary level, emphasis will be on girls, especially, adolescent girls who are unable to go to regular schools

(viii)In view of the targeted nature of the scheme, 75% girls from SC, ST, OBC or minority communities would be accorded priority for enrolment in such residential schools and only thereafter, 25% girls from families below poverty line.

(ix)Established NGOs and other non-profit making bodies will be involved in the running of the schools, wherever possible. These residential schools can also be adopted by the corporate groups. Separate guidelines are being issued in the matter.

6. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation

6.1 The scheme will be implemented by State Governments through the Mahila Samakhya (MS) Society in MS states and through the SSA society in case of other states. Funds will be released as per SSA pattern to the State SSA societies. The monitoring and evaluation at the State and district level will be undertaken by the MS State Resource Centers and in non-MS states, through the committee created for the National Programme for Education of Girls at the Elementary Level in the SSA society.

6.2 Training for teachers and staff at the residential schools will be coordinated by the District Institutes of Educational Training, Block Resource Centres and the Mahila Samakhya Resource Groups.

7. State Support Group

7.1 An Advisory State level coordination committee as approved under the NPEGEL scheme, shall provide direction and support to the programme. This group will consist of nominees from relevant State Government Departments, Government of India, experts in the field of girls education, educationists etc. The selection of an appropriate model of the school and its location would be done by this Committee based on the recommendation of the district committee implementing the NPEGEL and the new proposed scheme.

8. National Support Group

8.1 The National Resource Group (NRG) created under the Mahila Samakhya programme at the National level shall provide inputs on conceptual issues and concerns arising in the programme, and advice GOI on policy matters concerning the education of girls. This group will provide the interface with research and training institutions, women’s movement, educationists and non-Governmental institutions and also bring in other experiences of educating girls.

8.2 Since the NRG, consists of a small number of persons and meets only two to three times in a year, smaller sub committees of the NRG created for specific inputs, like gender training of teachers, development of gender based teaching learning material, development of audio visual programmes etc. will co- opt additional persons from relevant institutions or experts for the purpose.

9. Methodology

9.1 Based on the number of girls and the type of residential school to be provided, the selection of the model of the school to be selected would be done by a State Level Committee based on the recommendation of the District Committee for the purpose. The proposal shall be forwarded to the Cell at the National level who shall appraise them with the help of external agencies/consultants, where necessary. Finally, the Project Approval Board of SSA will approve these plans.

10. Financial Norms under KGBV

10.1 The SSA pattern of financing with a 75:25 ratio of sharing between the Centre and the States during the Tenth Five Year Plan, and 50:50 thereafter, will be adopted for KGBV as well. Commitments regarding sharing of cost would be taken from the State Governments in writing.

10.2 The provisions for KGBV will be in addition to the provisions already made under SSA and for NPEGEL. The SSA Society shall ensure convergence of KGBV with NPEGEL and Mahila Samakhya programme. It shall also ensure that funds allocated are appropriately invested and there is no duplication of activities.

10.3 The Government of India would directly release funds to the SSA State Implementation Society. The State Government will also release its share to the State Implementation Society. Funds will be released thereafter to the Mahila Samakhya Society wherever applicable. In States where MS is not being implemented, the implementation of this scheme will be through the ‘Gender Unit’ of SSA Society and existing mechanism used for implementation of SSA will be followed.

10.4 The State Society should open a separate Savings Bank Account for operating the funds of KGBV. State Government should also release its matching share to the State SSA Society through a separate budget head. Separate accounts will have to be maintained at district and sub-district structures, accordingly.